The Drexel Kindergarten Bridge Program
Title: Facilitating a Successful Start: The Kindergarten Bridge Program
Student Interns:
Toluwani Akinselure
Drexel University College of Medicine
Audrey Lee
Drexel University College of Medicine
Academic Preceptor:
Tariem Burroughs, PhD, MSEd, MSODL
Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health
Community Preceptor:
Andrea DiMola, MS
Drexel University School of Education
Community Site:
The Drexel Kindergarten Bridge (K-Bridge) program is offered to rising kindergarten students at Samuel Powel Elementary School in underserved West Philadelphia. The five-week summer program aims to facilitate the transition into kindergarten for children and their families by promoting skills necessary for success in school. Through collaboration with various community organizations, including Playworks, Eat Right Philly, Greener Partners, and the Dornsife Community Garden, the Drexel Kindergarten Bridge program provides children with a wide range of educational, wellness, and social learning at no cost to their families, with all meals provided.
Team’s Experience:
The Bridging the Gaps student interns assisted the K-Bridge program by completing administrative tasks such as educational assessments and directly leading and facilitating many fun and educational activities. In addition to arrivals, dismissals, daily snacks, mealtimes, and recess, the BTG interns led daily arts and crafts, games, play-based learning activities, mindfulness activities, and weekly water playtime to promote the development of social, emotional, and fine motor skills, along with creative expression. Interns also led weekly field trips to the Dornsife Community Garden, teaching the children about gardening and plant life, nutrition, teamwork and collaboration, and living in community with others.
Reflections
“Working at K-Bridge has been the highlight of my summer. Over the past several weeks, I’ve had the privilege of contributing to the early education of a diverse and wonderful group of children. Watching them grow more curious, confident, and excited about learning was incredibly rewarding. I also had the pleasure of working alongside passionate educators who created a nurturing, engaging environment that emphasized both academic and emotional development. This experience deepened my appreciation for the importance of early childhood education. Supporting the children as they learned to express themselves, manage emotions, and build relationships taught me valuable lessons in patience, communication, and empathy. I will carry these insights — and the joy I felt being part of their journey — with me for years to come.”
Toluwani Akinselure
“My time working with the K-Bridge program has been a wonderful experience. It was so great to get to know each kid and their unique personalities while helping them learn about phonics, math, art, nutrition, and social-emotional skills. I have formed a special connection with each child, and it has been such a pleasure to watch them all come out of their shells and become more confident in their own abilities in a school setting. I have learned a lot from working with these children, and I know that these childcare skills will help me in my future endeavors as an aspiring pediatrician. Every day, I watch them become increasingly bright, curious, cooperative, playful, and generous. I know that each student will excel in kindergarten once they start in the fall, and it has brought me so much joy to be able to help them prepare for school. What an amazing accomplishment it is to be able to facilitate learning and fun for children.”
Audrey Lee